News and Trends 23 Feb 2018 Crack Open the Champagne, AiCuris’ Antiviral Launched in Germany Update (23/02/2018): Merck Sharp & Dohme (MSD), licensee of AiCuris, has launched letermovir in Germany under the trade name Prevymis. The antiviral drug will be available to patients undergoing a hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) to prevent reactivation of latent human cytomegalovirus (CMV), which can prove lethal in the weakened state of this patients. Update (31/01/2018): […] February 23, 2018 - 3 minutesmins - By Alex Dale Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 22 Feb 2018 GW Pharma’s Latest Cannabinoid Drug Pegged Back by a Placebo in Phase II One of GW Pharma’s cannabinoid drugs for epilepsy has suffered a set back in a Phase IIa trial as a placebo matched its capacity to reduce the frequency of focal seizures. GW Pharma wants to use cannabinoid drugs to treat conditions like autism and epilepsy. However, one of its drug candidates, GWP42006, has slipped up in a Phase […] February 22, 2018 - 2 minutesmins - By Alex Dale Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 22 Feb 2018 Bacteria-Killing Viruses Could Stop You From Getting Food Poisoning A group of Finnish scientists has demonstrated that phage could be used to prevent food poisoning by killing dangerous foodborne pathogens like Yersinia enterocolitica. Researchers at the University of Helsinki believe that bacteria-killing viruses called phage could be more than just an alternative to antibiotics and a solution to the growing antibiotic resistance crisis. A study, published […] February 22, 2018 - 3 minutesmins - By Alex Dale Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 22 Feb 2018 You Will Soon Be Able To Paint With Bacteria! Researchers in the UK and the Netherlands have unlocked the genetic code that changes the color of certain bacteria. The discovery could lead to large-scale manufacturing of biodegradable, non-toxic paint. In a collaborative study between the University of Cambridge and the Dutch company Hoekmine, researchers compared the genetic information of certain bacterial colonies to their […] February 22, 2018 - 3 minutesmins - By Alexander Burik Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
Interview 22 Feb 2018 Could a New Approach Help Us to Overcome Resistance to HIV Treatment? Clara chatted with Christian Setz, CEO of Immunologik, to find out how the company is developing a new HIV treatment that could overcome resistance to anti-retroviral drugs. Over 36 million people are living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), which has led to many biotechs, including Abivax, working on better options for patients. Immunologik, a recent ‘Biotech of the Week’, is […] February 22, 2018 - 4 minutesmins - By Alex Dale Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 21 Feb 2018 Implantation of Carmat’s Artificial Heart Begins in Denmark to Beat Low Enrolment Carmat’s artificial heart is being tested in patients with heart failure. A hospital in Copenhagen will implant the device, which the biotech hopes will boost patient enrolment to its PIVOTAL trial. Carmat has developed the world’s most advanced fully artificial heart, which has been designed for patients suffering from end-stage biventricular heart failure. The biotech has […] February 21, 2018 - 3 minutesmins - By Alex Dale Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 21 Feb 2018 FDA Approves AstraZeneca’s Lung Cancer Treatment after Rejecting Merck and Pfizer’s The FDA approval will give AstraZeneca a competitive advantage in the lung cancer treatment market over Merck KGaA & Pfizer, who received rejections for a similar treatment. AstraZeneca received FDA approval for Imfinzi in non-small cell lung cancer one day after Merck KgA and Pfizer received a rejection for competitor drug Bavencio in the same indication. Imfinzi (durvalumab) […] February 21, 2018 - 2 minutesmins - By Alexander Burik Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 21 Feb 2018 Early Autism Diagnosis Could be Possible With New Blood and Urine Tests The detection of damaged proteins in blood and urine tests could help to diagnose autism quicker so that children can be given appropriate treatment. Researchers at the University of Warwick have developed new blood and urine tests that detect damaged proteins, which are associated with autism spectrum disorders. The study, published in Molecular Autism, explains how […] February 21, 2018 - 3 minutesmins - By Alex Dale Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
Infographics 21 Feb 2018 Infographic: The Landscape of Plant Biotechnology in Europe From electricity to medicine, the field of plant biotechnology is full of cool applications. We’ve gathered some of the coolest plant biotechs in Europe in this infographic. When you hear about plant biotechnology, I bet you think of the infamous GMO crops of the likes of Monsanto. But the field goes well beyond that, with an […] February 21, 2018 - 2 minutesmins - By Clara Rodríguez Fernández Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 20 Feb 2018 Microsoft Joins Shire to Diagnose Rare Diseases Much Faster Microsoft has partnered with Shire and EURORDIS to accelerate the diagnosis of rare disease, a process that often takes years and takes a big toll on the health of millions. There are over 6,000 different rare diseases, most of them beginning in childhood. However, diagnosing them takes an average of 5 years, delaying the start […] February 20, 2018 - 2 minutesmins - By Clara Rodríguez Fernández Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 20 Feb 2018 A New Biotech Hopes to Bring Us the Next Generation of Rare Metabolic Disorder Drugs Barcelona-based biotech, Minoryx, has spun out Gain Therapeutics to develop the next generation of drugs for rare metabolic disorders like GM1 gangliosidosis. Gain Therapeutics is a new biotech that will focus on developing new pharmacological chaperones for the treatment of rare diseases. It was set up by Minoryx, a biotech that has so far raised over €24M for […] February 20, 2018 - 3 minutesmins - By Alex Dale Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 20 Feb 2018 Morphosys and Galapagos Announce Positive Phase I Results for Atopic Dermatitis Treatment Phase I results show promise for a new treatment for atopic dermatitis that may become a strong competitor to the market leader, Humira. Morphosys and Galapagos are developing an antibody that could compete with the world’s best selling drug, Humira. The team announced details on positive results of a Phase I trial for treating atopic dermatitis […] February 20, 2018 - 3 minutesmins - By Alexander Burik Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email